Machine for cutting rayon staple



Dec. 30, 1952 H. 1.. JORDAN ETAL 2,623,535

MACHINE FOR CUTTING RAYON STAPLE Filed Sept. 13, 1951 2 SHEETS-SHEET lINVENTORS HENRY LAWRENCE JORDAN JAMES PRESTON JOHN SANDHAM BY THEIRATTORNEYS Dec. 30, 1952 H. 1.. JORDAN ETAL 2,623,585

MACHINE FOR CUTTING RAYON STAPLE Filed Sept. 13, 1951 2 SHEETSQSHEET 2INVENTORS HENRY LAWRENCE JORDAN JAMES PRESTON JOHN SANDHAM BY THEIRATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 30, 1952 MACHINE FOR CUTTING RAYON STAPLE HenryL. Jordan, Holywell, and James Preston and John Sandham, Holway,Holywell, England, assignors to Courtaulds Limited, London,

England, a British company Application September 13, 1951, Serial No.246,474 In Great Britain October 4, 1950 3 Claims. (01. 16438) Thisinvention relates to machines for cutting rayon staple, that is forcutting a tow or other bundle of filaments into staple lengths.

The invention relates in particular to a machine which comprises acutter and a rotating disc with a radial duct along which the tow is fedby centrifugal force so that its projecting end is brought against andsevered by the cutter. Such a machine is described in United Statespatent specification No. 1,723,998. Normally the cutter bears againstthe periphery of the rotating disc and rayon staple of a predeterminedlength is obtained by correlating the speed of rotation of the disc tothe speed of delivery of the tow. In some cases two cutters are providedon diametrically opposed sides of the disc so that there are two cutsfor each rotation of the disc.

Such machines give a product with uniform staple length, but smallquantities of fibres of under and over length may be produced; forexample the cutter may not make a clean cut of the whole bundleparticularly when the cutter is losing its first sharpness and some ofthe fibres will then only be severed on their second presentation to thecutter and will be over length in consequence.

It has been proposed in United States patent specifications Nos.2,424,555 and 2,447,976 to provide detecting fingers spaced away fromthe periphery of the disc and knocked by any overlength filaments to setinto operation various ,alarm devices and also a shutter in the outletchute to prevent the over-length rayon staple out after a fault has beendetected passing for- Ward.

Some fibres of non-standard length may also result if the tension on thetow is not even, for example when starting up. The re-setting of one endwhich is pressed by the operative into the tow so that part of itbecomes folded is a still further source of fibres of non-standardlength.

It is found in practice that a very small quantity, even a fraction of 1per cent, of fibres of non-standard length, particularly when suchfibres are over length, interferes with the processing and spinning ofthe rayon staple on the customary cotton and worsted machinery.

It is the object of the present invention to produce rayon staple freefrom filaments of nonstandard length.

According to the present invention a machine for cutting rayon staplecomprising a cutter and a rotating disc with a radial passage alongwhich tow is fed by centrifugal force so that its projecting end isbrought against and severed by the cutter has a receptacle for receivingand retaining fibres thrown from the disc, together with a deflectorplate which when desired can be brought into such a position in relationto the size and location for a deflector plate which can be brought intoposition in the path of the bundles of standard length. The deflectorplate can be so placed that the bundles striking it are deflecteddownwards so that they pass the gutter and fall on to a conveyor belt.

As the amount to be rejected on first starting may be considerable thesplash guard preferably has a special receptacle opposite to the cutter.

The forward edge of the deflector plate is preferably serrated to assistto retain any fibres caught on it.

One example of a machine in accordance with the present invention isshown in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section, and

Figure 2 is a plan.

The main body I carries at its lower end a rotating disc 2 driventhrough gearing by a motor 3. An arm 4 projecting from the main body Icarries a cutter 5 which is biased by a weight (not shown) to bearagainst the periphery of the disc 2. The tow (not shown) passes down aninlet 6 to a radial duct I in the disc 2 and its projecting end 8 issevered by the cutter 5. This is in accordance with known practice.

A splash guard 9 carries a gutter IE] which retains fibres striking thesplash guard 9. Suit able holes IllA are drilled in the gutter ID fordrainage purposes.

A collar I2 surrounding and rotatably mounted on the main body I carriesan arm I3 from which is suspended a deflector plate I4 having a serratediorward edge MA. A second arm I5 is fixed to the main body I and has apivoted collar I6 loosely surrounding a handle I! pivotally connected atits lower end I8 to the arm I3 so- 3 that the deflector plate l4 can bemoved. Stops (not shown) can be provided to limit the arc of movement.

On starting up, the deflector plate 14 is put in the position shown at19 in Figure 2 when the greater part of the severed fibres will fly intoa special receptacle ll. As soon as the machine settles down to steadyrunning the deflector plate 14 is mvoed to its operative position whenthe severed bundles will strike it and fall on to the conveyor belt 20.

The receptacle H, the gutter i0 and the forward edge 14A of thedeflector plate M can be cleared by the operative from time to timewithout it being necessary to stop the machine.

If at any time during operation the operative observes irregularities hecan 'move the'defieotor plate [4 back to position l9 so as to reject thesevered bundles until the machine is again running steadily.

If desired the cutter 5, deflector plate It and special receptacle H canbe duplicated on the opposite side of the machine, a second arm from thecollar i2 carrying the second deflector plate which will then beoperated at the same time as the first plate by the same operatinghandle ll.

Whereas the machine according to the invention is particularlyapplicable to the production of viscose rayon staple it is alsoapplicable to cutting bundles of other filaments into discontinuouslengths.

One example of a machine according to the invention for cutting a towdelivered at a rate of 64 metres per minute has the followingdimGIISIOIISZ Inches Diameter of disc (2) 18 Distance of deflector plate(Hi) from the disc 2 7 to 7 Length of deflector plate 5% 'i- Depth ofplate 9 /8 To cut fibres to a staple length of 11% inches with thismachine a suitable speed for the disc 2 is 746 revolutions per minute.

What we claim is:

1. A machine for cutting rayon staple comprising a rotating disc havingan inlet communicating with a radial duct along which tow is fed, afixed cutter bearing against the periphery of the disc for cutting thetow as it passes from the radial duct, an outlet below the disc for thedis charge of cut fibres, and a receptacle adjacent to the cutter forreceiving and retaining fibres thrown centriiugally from the disc, incombination with an adjustable deflector plate located between thecutter and the receptacle and adapted to shut off part of the saidreceptacle,

"whereby fibres striking the plate are directed to the said outlet andfibres not striking the plate are allowed to pass into the saidreceptacle.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the deflector plate is somounted that it can be moved away from its position between the-cutterand the receptacle to permit all the out fibres to pass into thesaid'receptacle.

3. A machine as claimed in claim '1 wherein the deflector 'pl'ate'h'a's'a serrated leading edge.

H. L. JORDAN. J. PRESTON. J. SANDI-IAM.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name *Date 2,232,496 Thompson Feb. 18,19412,323,644 Castellan July 6, 1943

